Rooftops
by Luna-Dara
Summary: AU: When all else fails, you may find yourself on top of a rooftop deciding what your next move is. Whether you jump, or move forward. A depressed Naruto gets sucked into going out with his friends and finds someone who may just be able to help him. A NaruHina Fic, other pairings may be included.
1. Chapter 1: Standing on the Rooftop

**A/N: Do not own, (I think that's a bit obvious but just putting it out there.)**

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><p>Chapter 1: Standing on the Rooftops<p>

P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki

Naruto was standing on one of the rooftops for his campus. He leaned over the banister and looked down at the students running around. _Jump,_ his brain told him. He was feeling – needless to say – depressed as of lately. His father – who was a renowned surgeon – had died in a car crash about a month or so ago. He couldn't tell, the days just seemed to blend together. It was always his dream to work at a hospital like his father. But with him gone, he felt as if he had lost his ambition to do anything! It frustrated him that he couldn't pull himself out of this funk. So every day after class he finds himself on this exact rooftop debating if today would be the day.

His mother had taken it hard, but somehow she managed to bounce back. She worked extra at the hospital. Maybe to distract herself from reality. Naruto couldn't bring himself to go into the hospital just yet. It still hurt too much.

"I thought I might find you up here," a voice said. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was. It was a certain pink haired girl. Sakura Haruno.

"Hey," he said while still leaning over the banister.

"I know it's been rough but you have to pick yourself up and move forward."

"Easy for you to say. You moved on from me very easily," Naruto said.

"Come on, you can't keep using that. That was when we were in high school, like seven years ago. How old were we? Like fourteen?"

"Something like that."

"Anyway, Kiba wanted me to tell you – since you have been ignoring your phone – we are all going out to a club tonight. Why don't you come out with us?"

Naruto had seen the message and chose to ignore it. He had been debating whether it was worth going or not. Sakura was right – he had to move forward. He just didn't know how right now. He had closed himself off from his friends. Maybe this would be the first step back to sanity.

"Yeah I'll go," he said. Sakura was shocked. She was anticipating the usual 'no' from him.

"Alright then, the place we're going to tonight is called Waterfall. It seems kinda new. We're meeting at nine so don't be late," she said before leaving.

Naruto made a mental note of the time and place. _Not today,_ he thought as he left the roof.

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><p>He got there at nine and to his not surprise Sakura and the other girls she usually hangs out with were all late. Again, this is no surprise. Which is why the meeting place was a ramen shop so the people who did get there on time would eat beforehand. In the ramen shop already was Sasuke, Shikamaru, Kiba, Lee, and Choji.<p>

"Hey, look who decided to show up?" Kiba said with a wide grin.

"The dobe actually showed up," Sasuke said as he drank some of his drink.

"Yeah, yeah. Sakura told me you guys were hanging out, so I figured I should join you," Naruto said with a fake smile.

"I suppose all those other times weren't good for you?" Shikamaru asked.

"LET US REJOICE THAT HE IS WITH US NOW!" said an over-enthusiastic Lee.

"I'm guessing that the girls are late," Naruto said as he took a seat.

"Are they ever on time?" Sasuke asked.

"So troublesome, they go through all the trouble to set this up and they're always late."

It was about forty five minutes later when the girls actually showed up. Sakura came walking in – the obvious leader of the females – with Ino, Temari and Tenten.

"It's about damn time you girls showed up!" Kiba shouted.

"How many times do we have to tell you? Beauty takes time," Ino said.

"Ugh! Whatever, can we just hit the club already?"

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><p>Once in the club everyone kind of went off and did their own thing. Sakura had grabbed Sasuke's hand and ran off onto the dance floor. Lee had attracted the attention of a few women and was lost in the crowd. Kiba was flirting with some girls at the bar. Trying to get a number. Choji and – surprisingly – Ino were off to the side chatting and having a drink.<p>

"They've been seeing each other for about three weeks or so," Shikamaru informs Naruto.

"Seems like things are going well," Naruto said as he took a sip of his drink.

"Listen, I don't usually say this but, if you need someone to talk to, I'm all ears. I know it's been rough for you and we hate seeing you like this."

"I think that's the most emotion I have ever heard in a sentence from you," Naruto said with a chuckle.

"Whatever," Shikamaru said with a smile. "Girls are troublesome things."

"Did Temari get to you?"

Shikamaru didn't say anything. Instead, he just looked away. Naruto busted out laughing. Just then, Temari came over.

"Hey! Why don't you two come onto the dance floor for a bit? It won't kill you, I promise."

And with that, they were forced onto the dance floor. Naruto was lost in the music. He let it take over his body. He quickly lost his sense of where he was. Just as quickly as it came it was lost. He had bumped into someone that caused them to fall. He quickly reacted and reached down to pull the person up.

What he did not anticipate was to be so close to the person after pulling them up. He did not anticipate the person to be a beautiful female. She had long dark hair, and her eyes reminded him of the moon. He felt a blush creeping on his face as he stared at her. He watched as a small blush came onto her face.

"You okay?!" he shouted over the music. She nods her head and gives him a smile. He wanted to talk to her. He was determined to at least talk to her for five minutes. "Can I get you a drink?!" he shouted again. He watches as she thinks. She nods her head. He grabs her hand and pulls her towards the bar. He couldn't explain his actions, all he knew was that he wanted to talk to her. He needed a normal conversation, with someone who didn't know that his father had passed. Someone who wouldn't have a look of pity on their face every time they looked at him.

"What do you want?" Naruto asks as he leaned closer to her ear.

"A beer is fine," she said. So he bought two beers. They took their drinks to a sitting area where they could actually hear each other.

"Sorry I bumped into you," he says with a sheepish smile.

"It's fine, I should have been watching where I was going."

"I'm Naruto."

"Hinata."


	2. Chapter 2: Waiting Untill The Bomb Drops

**A/N: Thank you everyone who is following this story and has written reviews! This one is a bit long. **

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><p>Chapter 2: Wait Until The Bombs Drop<p>

P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki

Naruto shielded his eyes from the sun that had snuck its way around the curtain. He rolled over and found his bed empty. He was pretty sure that he had brought someone home with him. _Maybe it was just a dream,_ he sighed and felt depressed again. _What if all of yesterday was a dream? What if I hadn't gone to the club with my friends? And what if I hadn't met that beautiful girl on the dance floor? What was her name? Hinata._

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his phone letting him know that he had a text message. He reached over to the night stand where his phone was. It was a message from Kiba:

**Hey how ru today? Didja get digits last nite from that grl?**

After he read this his brain began to process what had actually happened. He had gone to the club with his friends. While on the dance floor he bumped into a girl – Hinata – and had offered to buy her drink. They drank, and laughed and had fun. But she had to leave, but before she left…

Naruto quickly scrolled through his contacts to see if she was there. To his delight, she was.

His phone rang. He thought for a second that it was the girl, but when he checked he saw that it was his mom.

"Hey mom," he answered.

"Hey hun. I have a really big favor to ask you. Really big."

"What is it?"

"Could you come by the hospital to help me out with my car? I think it needs a jump or something."

"The hospital?" Naruto asked again even though he heard her the first time. His body tensed at the word.

"You don't have to come inside. I have the car in the parking lot. I was going to try to go somewhere on my lunch break but it just won't turn on."

"Yeah, sure mom. I'll be there."

"Oh thank you very much! I'll buy you some ramen!" she said just before she hung up. Naruto sighed. His moment of happiness was sucked away.

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><p>P.O.V: Hinata Hyuga<p>

Hinata was running around the kitchen, fixing food and cleaning. She hated living with her father. Absolutely hated it. She wished she had the ability to dorm on the campus of the college but she didn't. But she knew that even if she had the opportunity to, she probably wouldn't take it. She would hate to leave her sister, Hanabi, behind to deal with her father. Her cousin Neji has offered for her to move in with him, but she didn't want to leave behind her sister. So she stayed and dealt with her father's crap.

After fixing everything she grabbed her bag and headed off to the campus. It was Saturday, but she worked on campus as well as at the night club. She was trying to get enough so she could get her own place and take her sister with her. Her sister was only fifteen. Hinata just hoped that she would survive up until her sister turned eighteen.

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><p>About half way through her shift at the school bookstore she got a text message. When she checked she saw it was from Naruto. <em>Naruto? Do I know a Naru-Oh! He was the guy that I met last night.<em>

She didn't know if she should reply.

**Hey was wondering if you want to hang out 2night?**

She felt a blush creeping onto her face. _What should I do?! It wouldn't hurt to meet up with him right? He seems nice, I've seen him and his friends around so I know that they go to the college._

She found herself replying to him. She had to work at the bar again tonight so she could just meet him there.

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><p>P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki<p>

Naruto was nervous for reasons he could not explain. He was outside the club that they were meeting at. _Maybe this is a mistake, _he thought. But the more he thought about her the more he wanted to see her. Remembering their evening he couldn't help but smile. And it was like for a moment he forgot everything that bothered him. He took a deep breath and went in.

She had told him to meet her at the bar in the back of the club. He hadn't realized last night that there was more than one bar set up. He made his way through the crowd to it and took a seat at the bar. He checked his phone and saw that he was a bit early. He was nervous again. _What if she doesn't show up?_

"Can I get you a drink?" a woman's voice asked. When he looked up he saw her. She had a smile on her face and it caused him to chuckle and smile in return.

"You work here?"

"Yeah I do. But I don't get free drinks so I thank you again for the drink last night."

"You're welcome."

"You're early, and I'm still working so, what would you like to drink?"

"Get me two beers please," he said still smiling.

"Sure thing," she said with a smile and left to go get the drinks. When she came back she was no longer behind the counter. He gave her a questioning look.

"Shift is over," she says while handing him the beer. She took a seat next to him. Now that she was with him he wasn't too sure what he should be talking about.

"How long have you worked here?"

"About a year."

"I thought this place was new,"

"New management. The last one retired so his son took over and changed it up. How long have you been going to Konoha U?" she asked him.

"Wha-at? I never told you I went there!"

"I've seen you and your friends around campus," she said trying to control her laughter at his expression.

"Three years," he finally said. "You?"

"Same."

"Are you serious? I have never seen you around. Are you sure you actually go there and that you're not just playing with me?" he asked. She laughed again. He liked her laugh and he found himself smiling again.

"Yes I'm sure I go there. I also work in the campus bookstore. I'm usually –" she stopped midsentence. Naruto was worried.

"You okay there?" he asked. He saw her quickly pat her pants pockets. She pulled out her phone. She said excuse me and then went off to take the call. When she came back she looked different.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

"I'm really sorry but an emergency came up and I have to go."

"Do you have a car?"

"No."

"I can give you a lift to wherever you have to go."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Where do you have to go?"

"The hospital," she said with a sad expression. This word – again – made Naruto's body go stiff. _Of all the places in the city for her to have to rush off to, it just had to be the hospital. _"If it's too much trouble I can just take the bus. But I really do have to go." Her words interrupted Naruto's thoughts. When he looked back at her he saw how important this was to her.

"I'll take you," he said trying to maintain his composure.

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><p>The car ride was silent. Naruto thought he would be able to keep from becoming depressed but he couldn't. The closer they got to the hospital the more the memories flooded back. He heard a phone ringing. He glanced over to Hinata. She had it to her ear already.<p>

"I'm on my way now. I should be there soon…No, don't call my father. It's better if he is not contacted…Thank you," she said then hung up.

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking."

"My sister…she…she got hurt really bad and is now at the hospital."

"How come they're not contacting your father?" he asked. His curiosity getting the best of him.

"He…he's not the best option in cases like this."

Naruto noticed the struggle she had with talking about it. He pulled up to the curb and parked the car.

"Thank you," she said.

"I'll walk you in," he said just before she left the car. _What am I doing?! _He asked himself. "Hospitals tend to give you a roundabout."

"Thank you again," she said and then got out. _Shit! What the hell am I doing? I've been avoiding this place for so long, and now I'm going in with some girl that I just met._

The antiseptic air greeted him. They made their way to the front desk where a lady had greeted them. She did a double take when she recognized Naruto.

"We're here to see her sister," he told the receptionist. She looked towards Hinata.

"Hinata?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Right. She's in 305B."

"Thank you," Naruto said and then pulled her towards the elevator. _Seriously! What am I doing?!_

"Don't I have to fill out paperwork?" Hinata asked once in the elevator.

"If you start now you'll never see your sister. I can tell that she's very important to you."

"She is. She's all I have left really."

Naruto noticed the way she said that. He guessed that she did not have a very good relationship with her father. He decided not to mention it. Once they were on the third floor he walked her to the room.

"Naruto?" he heard someone ask. It was his mother that was standing just outside of the room where Hinata's sister was supposed to be.

"Hinata, this is my mom. Mom, this is Hinata."

"It's nice to meet you. Your sister has been waiting." His mom opened the door and Hinata rushed in. Then she closed it to give them some privacy. She then directed her attention onto her son.

"I just met her last night," he said as he felt a blush blooming.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry again, the story name and chapter titles are taken from a song called Rooftops by Lostprophets. The song itself is just serving as inspiration. Particularly one part of it.**


	3. Chapter 3: This Is All We've Got Now

**A/N: Luna here, sorry for the long overdue update. This thing called school that has consumed a good portion of my time but hopefully I will be able to post more soon! Thank you to those who wrote lovely reviews and are following this story! You are amazing!**

**R&R! and Enjoy!**

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><p>Chapter 3: This Is All We've Got Now<p>

P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki

_What the hell am I doing?_ Naruto sat in the hallway. His mom had told him that they would talk later and she rushed off to do work. He found himself sitting in the hallway waiting. _I'm pretty sure she can make her way home from here…she wouldn't mind if I left right?_ But every time he told himself that he was going to just leave her his body would not move from the spot.

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><p>P.O.V: Hinata Hyuga<p>

"What happened Hanabi?"

"Father got angry that you weren't home yet. So he…" and Hanabi's sentence came to a stop. Hinata felt horrible, she felt responsible for what happened.

"I'm so sorry Hanabi. I'm trying to work hard so I can afford to take care of you," Hinata said as she started crying.

"It's okay Hina. I mean, I'm fine. And Kono said he would come by and keep me company. And so long as I'm here you can work more," Hanabi said trying to cheer her sister up. Hinata stared at her and felt more determined. But she didn't think at this rate they would last three years. She may have to call Neji for help.

"I'll take care of you Hana," Hinata said while squeezing her sister's hand.

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><p>P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki<p>

While sitting in the hallway he heard someone running towards his direction. When he glanced up he noticed it was Konohamaru Sarutobi. A kid who was the grandson of some friends of the family. He was fifteen years old and was like a little brother to Naruto. Needless to say he brightened up a little at the sight of him but then questioned as to his reason for being here. Once the kid saw Naruto he slowed down so he stopped in front of him.

"Naruto…what are you doing here?"

"I was with a friend and she had to come to the hospital. So I offered to drive her here. What are you doing here?"

"My girlfriend called me and said that she was at the hospital," Konohamaru said as he clenched his fist and looked at the ground.

"Why are you so angry? I mean, it's not your fault that she's here," Naruto said trying to calm the kid down.

"I know who did this to her though. But I can't do anything about it. It was her damn father. Every time something bad happens in that house she tells me not to worry about it. But how can I not?" he said as hot tears ran down his face. Naruto got up and pulled Konohamaru towards the bathroom.

"Clean yourself up. The last thing you want her to see is that you're crying. She needs you to be strong for her," Naruto said as he gestured towards the sink. The kid did as told and calmed down.

"So you're seeing someone?" Konohamaru asked trying to lighten up the mood. Naruto smirked.

"I don't know if it's officially seeing someone. I just met her last night."

"Betcha she's not as beautiful as my girl," he boasted.

"When did you start dating anyway?

"About two years ago."

"How did I not know about this?"

"I guess college has kept you too busy," he said with a laugh at the end.

"I guess so. What room is she in?" Naruto asked as they left the bathroom.

"305B."

Naruto froze.

"Everything okay Naruto?" Konohamaru asked.

"The girl I'm with…she's here because her sister is here at the hospital. In 305B."

The two of them knocked on the door and Hinata opened it.

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><p>P.O.V: Hinata Hyuga<p>

She smiled at the young boy that stood there. She knew about Konohamaru and had seen his picture. But this would be the first time that she has met the person that makes her little sister happy despite the circumstances. She knew that he wanted to be able to protect Hanabi but respected their decision to not tell anyone.

"It's really nice to meet you. Take good care of her," Hinata said as Konohamaru entered the room. She then left. Naruto was still standing there. She hadn't expected him to stay.

"Do you need a ride home?" he asked. She looked at her watch and knew that if her father caught her coming home this late that she may be back at this hospital. Especially if he sees a car. But then she would have to deal with the consequences tomorrow. She bit her lip as she thought hard about it.

"No, it's fine. I'll just walk home. Thank you for giving me a ride here," she said as she turned and made her way to the elevator. Naruto followed her in.

"It's really late, I insist that I drive you," he said.

"Really, its fine," she said as she got off the elevator and picked up speed to leave. _Why is he being so insistent?!_

Outside he caught up to her and grabbed her arm. She winced in pain because that was where an old bruise was still healing. He quickly started examining it.

"What are you doing?" she asked. He continued this to her other arm.

"Why are you putting up with him?"

"What?"

"Your father. Why do you put up with him?"

"Because if I'm not there my sister would get hurt."

"So you would rather be beat by him?" he asked. He was getting angry and so was she.

"Not everyone's life is perfect. You have a mother that loves you and cares about you. You have family, friends. And yet you ignore them all. Do you honestly think your father would want you to act this way?" she asked. She knew it was a low blow but did he really not understand? His face looked pained. "My mother died when I was younger. My sister was just a baby. My mother wouldn't want anything to happen to her so I do my best to try to take care of her, even if it means I get hurt in the process. I work hard so I can save enough money to try to get my own place and take my sister with me."

There was silence. She took this as a moment to compose herself.

"She is all I have as far as family goes really. I could never forgive myself if I let her down, if I let my mom down. Have you ever thought about the fact that you're letting your father down by acting the way you do? Have you ever thought of how it makes your mom feel, knowing that there's a chance she could lose her son after losing her husband?"

Naruto looked down at the ground. Clenching and unclenching his hands.

"I find that the best way to move on is to take a step moving forward. Even if it's small steps," Hinata said before she turned to leave.

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><p>P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki<p>

_Shit!_

He looked up to see her walk away but couldn't bring himself to follow. She was right. He turned to look at the hospital and then glanced at his car. He took a deep breath then took a step forward.


	4. Chapter 4: Scream Until Your Heart Stops

**A/N: Hey, it's Luna! I know I have been really MIA but I hope that if there are still readers of this that you enjoy it nonetheless and I do plan on finishing this very soon. Life has this way of keeping you very busy. Anyway to all readers I hope you enjoy and as always R&R (that's rate and review). Leave comments if you wish, I do ask the criticism be constructive. Thanks and enjoy! **

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><p>Chapter 4: Scream Until Your Heart Stops<p>

P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki

He took a deep breath and tried to push down the fear and anxiety that tried to take over. Each step felt heavy and he fought to move it forward. She was right though. She told him what everyone else wouldn't, what people were afraid of mentioning. He had to make a choice, he couldn't wait anymore. He couldn't stand on rooftops waiting for the day that he decides that he was going to die.

The more he thought this, the more determined he felt. His pace picked up. He walked into the hospital. To his surprise his mom was waiting. He walked up to her and hugged her.

"I'm sorry Mom," he said as he held her tight. She returned the hug and tried to soothe him as he cried. He couldn't hold everything in anymore. He was afraid to confront the fact that his father was gone. He had let his life go by without him.

"I'm here Naruto."

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><p>They had moved to her office, Naruto's mom had a small smile. Naruto saw this and smirked.<p>

"Why the smile?" he asked.

"You're finally making progress. And all it took was for you to meet that girl?" she asked as she gave him a look. A look that implied many things that made Naruto blush.

"Her name is Hinata," he said. He noticed that his mom's smile turned from mischievous to sad.

"I know her too well."

"What do you mean?" he asked feeling a little anxious.

"Hinata and her sister have a…very difficult home life. However that is all I can say, doctor-patient-"

"I know it's her father," he said cutting her off. He was more than agitated. "I just don't understand why she puts up with him."

"Well maybe if you got to know her a bit more you would understand."

"She was upset with me when I questioned her."

"Which is why I say _get to_ _know_ _her_."

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><p>P.O.V: Hinata Hyuaga<p>

"Thank you Neji for letting me stay the night," Hinata said with a sigh of relief to be away from the house.

"You know that the door is always open for you," Neji said as he gave her something to drink. She saw the worry that was in his eyes. She tried to be strong, to show him that she could do it.

"Hanabi is in the hospital," Hinata said calmly. She watching his expression change from saddness to anger. "I was running late and he got upset."

"It is not your fault. I am sure that we can figure out a way to get her out. There has to be something, running away didn't work."

"It nearly got you a restraining order," Hinata said sadly. Neji was silent, most likely recalling the incident. "I don't think that we can. And if we can make a case she would most likely be put in foster care. I don't even have my own place, I still live with him. I'm sure someone would make the case of 'if it's so bad then why are you there'. How could I possibly win that case?"

"Her life being at risk should be enough," Neji said trying to control his emotions.

"I don't know what to do," she said as she started crying.

"We will get through this," he said as he put his hand on her shoulder. Her whole body shook as her frustrations came out in tears. Allowing herself to put down the walls for just this moment. Her mind wandered back to her meeting with Naruto and what she had said to him.

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><p>P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki<p>

-One week later-

Since seeing Hinata he had been trying to slowly get control of his life again, determined not to waste any more time. He had started helping his mom again at the hospital. He even started to go back out to his favorite ramen place. He was talking to his mom more about how he was feeling and what he thought he should be doing. She would give him paperwork to fill out and had him work with the children at the hospital. He enjoyed making them smile, even if it was for only the moment.

The one thing that he hadn't been able to bring himself to do was to visit his father's grave. He hadn't the stomach or the guts to do it. _Today's the day._

Naruto got in his car and drove to the cemetery, his stomach doing flips and all kinds of acrobatic movements. He really wished it would stop, but he was nervous, extremely nervous today. His body knew where it was going despite his mental protest and attempts of coming up with an excuse to turn back. To run back to the car and just drive away from here. But his body wasn't letting him get out of this that easily. He stood in front of his dad's grave. A place he hasn't been to since the funeral, a place that he knew he needed to go to but was avoiding it. At the funeral he didn't want to believe it, didn't want to accept it.

He was thinking of what Hinata said, that he needed to take baby steps but he had to at least take the first step forward. He had started going back to the hospital, started talking to his friends again. But he knew, knew that he had to face the fact that his dad was gone. And nothing could be done to change that.

"I'm sorry dad," he started with a shaky voice, "When I lost you that day, I felt like I had lost part of me. My hero, my idol was gone. But I am thankful that I had you in my life. I'm very thankful to still have mom. I met someone, she kind of put things in perspective for me. I know she needs help, but I can't help her if I don't help myself." He sighed. He felt like a weight was lifted off of his chest. He hugged the gravestone and cried, "I miss you dad and I love you."

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><p>Naruto headed to the hospital to check on Hinata's sister Hanabi. When he got there he saw that Konohamaru was there and she was laughing and smiling.<p>

"She does have a very beautiful smile," his mom said as she came up behind him.

"Yeah."

"The poor girl is always so sad but he manages to make her smile no matter what." She sighed. "She will be released tomorrow. I have done everything I can to keep her here as long as I can but unfortunately her father is asking for her." She watched as his fist were slowly turning white. "Have you spoken to Hinata?" she asked. The question caught him off guard.

"No, after that night. I want to be in a better place before I talk to her, I want to be able to help her."

"Whether you are at your best or your worst I'm sure she would like having someone to talk to."

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><p>As he was walking home he got a text message from Kiba:<p>

**We going 2 club want to come?**

He thought about it, mostly about maybe seeing Hinata there as well as seeing his friends. He felt bad that he hadn't apologized to his friends for the way he was acting. He felt that it was wrong.

**I'll be there.**

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><p>P.O.V: Hinata Hyuga<p>

It had been a week since she last spoke to Naruto. And since then she had been working double shifts whenever she could. Today was her only day off. She was very thankful that her sister was safe in the hospital, her father had been very irritable. She was sure that he knew where she was and why she was there but for some reason he did not seem fazed by it. She stared at her phone, she knew that she had to do something soon. That they wouldn't be able to make to Hanabi's eighteenth birthday. _Maybe I could talk to Ms. Uzumaki, she is always very kind and helpful._ Then an image of Naruto came to mind, she felt a little bad for yelling at him the way she did. She had thought that she was hard on him but at the same time she felt like he needed to hear it.

Brushing the thought away she looks through her phones contacts for Ms. Uzumaki's number. Due to the frequent visits Ms. Uzumaki thought it was best that she have it on hand.

"Hello, thank you for calling Konoha Hospital. Dr. Uzumaki Kushina speaking how may I help you?"

"Hi Ms. Uzumaki, it's Hinata."

"Is everything alright?"

"No…well yes…is it okay if I come in and talk to you? If it's not…if it's too late-"

"Hinata, it's alright. I'm looking at a long night anyway. You have work tonight?"

"I think so. They called and said that they may need me to come in because someone called out sick."

"Okay then come by afterwards then. What time did they say you should be out by?"

"Three, they don't want me working too much."

"Okay then I will see you then."

"Thank you very much Ms. Uzumaki," she said with a sigh of relief. She had been so nervous about the call even though she had no reason to. After a moment she called her job to confirm that she was coming to cover the shift.

"Again, I'm are very sorry Ms. Hyuga to call you on your day off."

"Really it's okay. I don't mind."

"I promise to get you out of here as soon as I possibly can. You know how it is with the rush."

"Yes I know. I will be there as soon as I can."

* * *

><p>P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki<p>

"Hey! You showed up!" Kiba said as he got up from his seat to greet Naruto.

"Yeah I said I was going to, you know I never go back on my word." Naruto took a moment and really looked at his friends. He saw all of their smiling faces, people he considered special and like family. People he would have lost forever if he had kept continuing down the path he was going before. Hinata was right, he was surrounded by people who cared about him. He still had his mom and his friends. It was what he had been blind to, what he was ignoring. He had said that it was just grief but it was more than that. But he kept it bottled up inside and almost lost everything else. He was surrounded by so many people who loved him. And the thought that he would have hurt them nearly brought tears to his eyes.

"Guys I just wanted to say thank you for being my friends and for being there for me. I know I have been acting off lately and I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to get you guys worried, but I'm getting better. I promise."

* * *

><p>P.O.V: Hinata Hyuga<p>

"Can I get another beer Miss."

"Coming right up," she said as she popped open a new beer for the gentleman. Her mind was wandering all over, her body full of a mixture of emotions. She was nervous for her meeting, anxious to know if she might see Naruto tonight, and afraid of her return home. She just hoped that whenever she got home it would be when her father was passed out. Though she stayed with Neji from time to time she couldn't be absent from the house for too long.

**Flashback**

_"Where the hell were you?!" screamed Hiashi._

_"I worked late."_

_"And if I call this place can they vouch for that statement."_

_"Y-yes."_

_"Then why didn't you come home last night?!" he asked, striking her before she even got the chance to reply. "You need to stop giving me_ _reasons to hit you Hinata! Why are you a failure?"_

_"I'm not a failure!" she screamed. She immediately covered her mouth but it was not defense against her father._

**End Flashback**

Hinata was startled back into reality by the shouts of customers. She glanced every so often into the dance floor, hoping by chance to see his blonde hair.


	5. Chapter 5: Never Gonna Regret

**A/N: Sorry for the extremely late upload, it's a long one so I hope it makes up for it. I hope you enjoy it! R&R! And super thanks to those of you who have faved this fic and follow it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Never Gonna Regret<p>

P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki

Naruto was enjoying the company of his friends for what felt like the first time in forever. He felt like he was coming back to life. He did notice that when Neji came back to the group he seemed preoccupied.

"Something up Neji?" he asked. Neji smirked and chuckled a little.

"You of all people." He saw that Naruto was not going to let up. "My cousin has been staying with me recently and I cannot help but worry about her. She is most certainly going through a trying time. I feel a bit helpless, I offer to help her but she does not believe that there is much to do."

"It sounds really tough. I'm sure that there is something that you guys can do."

"It is tough. She is strong, I just hope that things will turn around for her." He took a sip of his drink. Naruto hoped that it worked out for his cousin as well.

"Soooooo Naruto, what caused you to rise from the dead?" Kiba interrupted. Naruto started to blush a little, thinking back to Hinata. _Why am I blushing?!_ The more he thought about her the more he remembered how beautiful she was, how strong she was, despite what she was going through. He could only imagine. "So who is she?" Kiba pushed.

"Who?" Naruto was trying to play it off, but the remaining blush on his face did not help his case. Neji chuckled at the interaction.

"The girl who obviously caused you to rise from the dead."

"It's not what you think," he quickly spat out, hoping to kill any perverted thoughts that his friend might have come up with. "She gave me a verbal slap in the face."

"What a shame, a real slap in the face would have been funny."

* * *

><p>P.O.V: Hinata Hyuga<p>

"Hey Hinata, I'm here to cover your shift."

"Thanks," Hinata said to her co-worker as she went to the staff room to grab her stuff. She could have gone out the back entrance but to be quite frank, it scared the hell out of her. So that left her with the only other way out, the front door on the other side of the dance floor. The challenge made her smile, because she knew how to get across. She would have to dance across in between the people. Temporarily she lost herself to the rhythm and beat. Welcoming the distraction the music provided. In one of her turns she thought that she saw a flash of blonde from the corner of her eye. Stopping for just a second to glance. _Must have been my imagination, or wishful thinking, or someone else. _She continued her navigation to the exit. Just as she left she saw the bus across the street pulling out. She tried running after it but was a few seconds too slow. _I'll be too late,_ she thought as she glanced at the bus chart. Just then she heard footsteps, she quickly braced herself.

"Hey, I didn't expect to see you here tonight," he said as he stopped in front of her. Hinata looked at the person to see that it was Naruto. _I guess it wasn't my imagination then._

"N-Naruto, what a surprise."

"Yeah, I was surprised to see you working tonight. I mean, I know you work here and I was hoping to see you tonight but I wasn't sure if I actually would get to see you tonight, aaaaannnnddd I'm gonna stop talking now," Naruto said as a blush started creeping onto his face. The whole thing made Hinata giggle. Sadly it ceased at the re-realization that she had just missed the bus and the next one wasn't until another hour which would be far too late to see Ms. Uzumaki. "Everything okay Hinata? Did you miss your bus or something? If you want I could give you a ride. Where you heading off to?" He asked.

"I was going to go to the hospital. I'm supposed to see Ms. Uzumaki to talk to her about some things."

"Your sister?" he asked. Hinata didn't want to tell him everything just yet, so she simply nodded her head in reply to the question. Naruto perked up a bit. "She's been doing good. Mom says that she is making a very good recovery. C'mon my car is right over here."

Hinata followed him to the car and got in the passenger side. A few minutes passed in silence between the two.

"How are you holding up?" he asked her.

"Okay I-I think. I didn't go home last night." _Why am I telling him this?_

"That's good then," he said throwing her a small smile.

"I suppose." _Until I have to go home and see father again like the other night._

"Wish I had known for sure you were working tonight, I definitely would have stopped over to say hi."

"I wasn't supposed to work tonight. Tonight was my night off but someone got sick."

"That's a shame. You work a lot of hours already don't you?"

"Yeah, two jobs. But it will be worth it."

"Still…" Naruto started to gently scold her about over working herself. And though she was tired of hearing the comment from Neji, she found it was rather sweet and enjoyable to watch him say the same thing now. She couldn't help but feel surprised by what she was seeing. More like who she was seeing. She had seen him before the death of his father around campus. He was always full of life and striving very hard to be Student Government President at the college. Afterwards though, he started attending activities less and less and the students had started rumors that he was becoming suicidal. She had also overheard some of his friends in the bookstore talk about what they have already tried doing to get him out of his depression.

But when she had met him that night at the dance club he didn't seem depressed. Not quite normal but close. They had talked nearly the whole night and he was laughing and smiling the whole time. Though there were moments she could tell that he was trying too hard to smile, too hard to force a laugh. But now, the man that was in front of her did not seem to be in a depressed state, nor did it seem like he was trying to put on a façade. This was Naruto, she felt like she was meeting him for the first time.

"How have you been?" Hinata asked nervously. She still remembered that there last meeting ended with her yelling at him. Though, again, she did not regret it.

"I've…I've been getting better. You know, the advice you gave me, it really helped."

"It did?"

"Yeah, I think it's what I needed to hear. No one else would say that to me. They were afraid of what I would do I guess. Not saying that they don't care, it's just. I don't know…I feel like I needed that push that night. You know, I spent a lot of days standing on the rooftops of the school buildings. Just contemplating if I wanted to jump to my death or try to live my life. But what you said really put things into perspective for me. You saved me from me, thank you Hinata."

"I didn't do anything though, you did all the work. All I did was yell at you," she said shyly. Naruto opened his mouth to say something but then shook his head lightly and smiled instead.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for seeing me so late Ms. Uzumaki."<p>

"It's no trouble at all. So what brings you did you wish to talk about?"

"I have been thinking lately, and I think that it is time I get my own place. I can't keep living like this and I can't have Hanabi live like this. As nice as you are I don't want to keep coming here." Ms. Uzumaki nodded with understanding. She reached into her drawer and pulled out a file. It was a fat file that made an audible _thump _as it landed on the desk. Hinata stared at the file with curiosity.

"I have been looking into some things for just this moment. I was waiting for you to be ready. It would be best if we take care of this while Hanabi is here. Now in order to avoid the foster system we need to make sure we have your bases covered. You will need someone to vouch for you to have care I believe. I can do that. You will need a lawyer, I can see who is available. You will need a job that can support you and her."

"The money I get for bartending and the bookstore is enough for me," Hinata said with a defeated sigh.

"I see. You said you were studying medicine at the university right?" she asked while looking through more papers.

"Uh, yes I am."

"Very ambitious. Have you looked into internships?"

"No ma'am"

"Well we have an opening. Paid internship, we can have it start at fifteen an hour. I trust that you have very high marks in your class. We can have you start at four days a week, you can at least quit the bar tending, and if you want to keep working at the book store for extra income I suppose you can. If ever you want to change it we can have a discussion about it. However I think that this should be able to meet the fund requirement." Ms. Uzumaki gave Hinata a huge grin that reminded her of Naruto's.

"Th-Thank you very much Ms. Uzumaki," Hinata said as she bowed deeply to the woman.

"And last but not least," she started in a bit of a sing-song voice as she pulled out a smaller stack of papers from the file, "Apartment shopping! These are on the other side of town, close to both of your schools and not too far from the hospital and are two bedrooms. A couple of single bedrooms but try to not pick those okay? Anyway you may want to call some of these to set up a viewing appointment. And they should all fit to what you will be making."

Hinata was in disbelief. Ms. Uzumaki had done so much for her and Hanabi. She just couldn't believe that she had done all of this to help her. She could no longer keep herself together, she cried. Cried from joy, from all the held in tears, just everything came out. "Thank you," she managed to say in between sobs.

* * *

><p>P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki<p>

Naruto was wandering the halls of the hospital. He felt exhausted as the onslaught of memories came at him. He had been trying to get used to the hospital again but every time he has a moment to himself where he is not distracted he felt the weight of the memories. He felt like he was in a war zone with no means of protection. Yes, he did fight before, he had put up every shield possible. But that didn't fix anything. Facing it all head on felt like hell. He had found a chair and slumped in it/ everything around him turned to white noise.

After sitting there for so long he felt someone touch his shoulder, just barely. He looked at the hand and followed it up the arm. It was Hinata/ he saw her mouth moving but he couldn't quite hear her. He saw that she had concern etched into her face.

"-but you don't have to do it alone," he heard her say. He blinked a couple of times and shook his head. He felt like he could breathe again. "you didn't hear me, did you?"

"I'm sorry," he said as he scratched the back of his head nervously. She simply sighed gently and took a seat next to him.

"We don't have to face our problems by ourselves. There are certain things we need to face, but that doesn't mean we can't have help," she smiled, "let me try to help you."

"What about you?"

"Your mom as offered a lot to help me and I would very much like your company, if that's okay. I don't usually talk to many people about my problems because I don't want them to know. But, talking to you is very easy," she said with a small smile. Naruto returned it, he felt very lucky to have met someone like Hinata. He then looked at the ground and the smile slipped away as he returned to his previous thoughts.

"I don't want to be afraid to live/ I don't want to avoid the hospital. It meant so much to dad. I keep coming to the hospital, hoping it would help, lessen the pain, get better. It just feels like I'm being attacked."

"What are some good memories?" Naruto stopped his train of thought and tried hard to remember the good memories. Heck, all the memories in the hospital with his dad were all good. It was just the absent feeling that truly gnawed at him. The fact that he couldn't make any more memories with his dad is what killed him most. "You know, he's not really gone. When people leave we keep them alive in our memories. I try to remember my mom and I've told my sister about her. It's how I keep her alive."

"I'm sorry."

* * *

><p><strong>A week later<strong>

P.O.V: Naruto Uzumaki

"You're really going through these papers," Kushina commented. He just nodded his head. "So where are you two going tonight?" Naruto felt a blush creeping onto his face.

"We were going to go see a movie. I was actually going to introduce her to Sakura and the rest of them," he stacked the last of the papers. "Alright Mom, unless you have something else for me to do, I'm gonna head out."

"Okay, have fun! Don't come home in the back of a police car!" she said as she waved him off.

* * *

><p>He waited at a bench in the park for her. She always seemed very objective to him meeting her at her house. He always felt nervous waiting for her. Maybe not nervous, maybe anxious. He checked the time every five minutes. It was five to eight and a sense of being underprepared overwhelmed him. They had been hanging out every day now since last week. He enjoyed her company a lot and hoped that she enjoyed him as well. He had gone with her to the apartments to help her find one. They went out to eat and walked a lot in the park. He even got to meet her younger sister Hanabi. He saw why Konohamaru was interested in her. They each talked about their feelings in regards to their situations. It was extremely comforting and Naruto found that it helped a lot.<p>

He found out that she liked the color of purple a lot, and Naruto couldn't help but note that her eyes seemed to have a lavender hue to them, or was it just a trick of the light? She loved cinnamon rolls and baking sweets. A couple of times she had brought some for them to share. He checked the time again, eight ten. She was late, she was never late. She _hated_ being late. A knot began forming in the pit of his stomach.

"I'm sure she just got held up. She did say that she was going to be moving into her new apartment. She said that she was going to ask her cousin to help her. Goddamnit maybe I should've insisted on helping her move," Naruto babbled on. His train of thought did not calm him, not at all. If anything it made him more anxious!

No longer able to stay seated he started pacing furiously. His phone started vibrating, causing him to jump at first then quickly grabbed it. He glanced at the caller ID long enough to see Hinata's name.

"Hey where are you?" Naruto asked nonchalantly. Trying not to let any of his worry and anxiety slip into his voice.

"Hi, this is Hanabi, Hinata's sister. She is in an ambulance right now." Naruto froze. A sea of emotions overcame him, fury, anger, worry.

"I'll meet you there," Naruto said before hanging up. He ran as fast as he could to the hospital, managing to beat the ambulance there.

"Back so soon Naruto?" his mom said with a smirk.

"It's Hinata…she's…ambulance," he said in between breaths. His mother's smirk dropped and was replaced with concern, anger, and sadness. She called a bunch of nurses to prepare a room for her. She then ran to wait for the ambulance. Naruto collapsed into a seat, filled with so much emotion that he was shaking.

"We have to get her to ICU now!" he heard his mom scream. Naruto tried to go chase after them but was stopped. He just stared. He couldn't see her. He wanted to , but at the same time he didn't want to see the damage. He heard sobs nearby and looked for the source. He recognized the small figure as Hinata's younger sister. He walked over to where she was on the floor. He sat next to her and placed his hand gently on her back and rubbed it to comfort her.

"It's all my fault," Hanabi said softly.

"It's not."

"Yes it is!" she screamed as a new wave of tears flowed out. "If I didn't exist she could have left. She wouldn't be in the hospital."

"Don't you dare think that," he said sternly, "your sister loves you very much and she wants to protect you as much as she can." There was a long pause.

"Father was upset and he drank more than usual. I was cleaning the kitchen when he came in. he was telling me that he had found someone for me to marry. I was upset. I told him that I didn't want to marry someone because I already loved someone else. Father didn't know about Konohamaru. He also didn't know that we were going to be moving out. She must've heard father because she came in and asked what happened. She stood up to him. They fought. He tried to grab me. Hina said to run. I ran and hid in her room. When it was quiet I grabbed her cell phone and looked around, I saw her on the floor, worse than I had ever seen her. Father was passed out in the living room." Silence. Naruto felt furious after hearing all of this.

"You can't go back there."

"I don't want to . But if I runaway he could sue whoever I'm with for kidnapping. He did that once." Naruto couldn't believe that he was willing to go that far. He knew it was bad for them. He just didn't realize how much. After inspecting Hinata's bruises that night he hadn't pushed the subject.

" I don't care, you're not going back there. How far along was Hinata with moving?"

"She had a couple of bags left."

"I'll go get the rest of the bags, however I need to find a safe place for you. I know your sister would want you to be somewhere safe."

"I can stay with my cousin Neji. I know Hina has stayed there a time or two."

"Neji is your cousin?!" Naruto asked and then mentally hit himself for not realizing the similarities. Hanabi simply nodded her head. He then fished into his pocket for his phone and was flipping through his contacts. "I'm actually friends with him." After finding his number he proceeded to call.

"Hyuga Neji speaking."

"Hey, it's Naruto. I need you at the hospital, your cousin is here." Naruto heard rustling noises, muffled curse words and then the slamming of a door.

"I'll be right there."

* * *

><p>"Thank you for staying with Hanabi." Hanabi was now sitting in Kushina's office while Neji was speaking with Naruto.<p>

"It's no big deal. She said Hinata was almost done moving," Naruto said hoping to get more information.

"Yes she was," he said with a sigh. " I had been helping her but I couldn't today. I told her to just wait a day. She assured me it was just a few items left. Things she could fit in a backpack. The idea was to wait until he fell asleep and then sneak out." He was silent.

"We have to get those bags." Neji thought hard.

"If you get caught we will go to jail."

"Fine by me," Naruto said feeling more determined than ever. This woman had done so much for him. She is the reason he is alive and be damned if he lets her father be the end of hers.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Again a bit of a long chapter, let me know what you think!  
><strong>


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